Wireless Web Digest: Domo Arigato, Mr. Wristomo?

In this edition of the Wireless Web Digest:

GSM Association calls for MMS push

Motorols dabbles in ultra wideband

NTT DoCoMo's wrist phone flies off the shelves
GSM Association Calls for MMS PushThe GSM Association
last week issued a rallying call to the wireless industry to speed the
arrival of enhanced, fully-interoperable Multi-media Messaging Services
(MMS) services and devices. One objective of the GSMAs Board is
that 3G Partnership Projects Release 4 specifications concerning network
functionality are implemented by December 2003, and that all new MMS
terminals are based on the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) standards. The
influential trade association wants to drive the acceleration of MMS
roaming, national MMS network interworking and terminal interoperability
by promoting the adoption of new standards.

RedPrairie Ships RFID AcceleratorRedPrairie
Corp. last week shipped software to help suppliers comply with demands
from retailers to adopt wireless inventory tracking technology. RFID
Accelerator provides software agents that collect and verify information
embedded in
radio-tagged chips placed on palettes and cases in warehouses and
distribution centers, the company said. The retrieved inventory data can
then be sent to warehouse management or legacy systems, and eventually
passed on to retailers in advanced shipping notices.

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TechwebResearch Firm Says Wi-Fi Will Go Bye-Bye
According to West Technology Research Solutions, ultrawideband (UWB)
will eventually beat out both the current Wi-Fi wireless networking
standard and Bluetooth, the research firm said last week. If those bold
predictions come true, then the research firm promises that standards
battles for wireless networking will continue into the next decade.
Another report predicts that the Zigbee Protocol, which promotes the IEEE
802.15.4 standard for low-power wireless applications, will become
ubiquitous and dominant in two-way low data-rate wireless applications for
the home. UWB works in what is sometimes called the "garage door
spectrum," the unlicensed frequency of the spectrum commonly used for
garage door openers, portable telephones and baby monitors. But its high
speed data transit capabilities of 40 to 60 megabits per second, in some
cases nearly ten times as fast as Wi-Fi, low power requirements, its
ability to penetrate walls, and use of GPRS information make UWB an
attractive option for all kinds of handy machine-to-machine
communications.
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InternetNews.comMotorola Backs UWB StartupMotorola has
invested in an Ultra Wideband startup, hoping that the wireless
technology can eventually be used in its home multimedia products. The
amount of backing raised by Appairent Technologies was not disclosed. The
Monroe Fund, managed by the Trillim Group, also contributed to the round.
Motorola isnt alone in exploring UWB. Several companies, including Intel,
Time Domain, XtremeSpectrum, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics and
others are working on chipsets. Intel is bouncing around the idea of
implementing UWB technology into all of its chips.Read the full story on:
InternetNews.comAT&T Offering Remote Access To VPNs From Hot Spots
AT&T plans to offer remote wireless access to its VPN service users
from more than 2,000 access points in 20 countries. The carrier is tapping
into an 802.11b access service from GRIC Communications to deliver the
service, slated to become available in the fourth quarter. AT&T already
uses GRIC to deliver remote dial-up Internet access in more than 140
countries.
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CRNReview: Dick Tracy Watch-Shaped Phone
Japans leading mobile carrier, NTT DoCoMo, sold 5,000 Wristomo wrist
watch phones in two months. The handcuff-like Wristomo, weighing 4 ounces,
works fine in its watch form a la Dick Tracy. And if you choose to use it
as a handset, it wraps back around your wrist with an easy click -- a
watch again. Made by Seiko Instruments, Wristomo uses the Personal
Handyphone System, a wireless technology used in Japan that requires less
energy than conventional mobile phones.
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